


I Give It To Your Keeping

by Im_The_Doctor (Bofur1)



Category: Doctor Who, Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Feels, Gen, Kid Sherlock, Sherlock's Skull - Freeform, Surprises, The Doctor on His Own, Wholock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-06
Updated: 2013-12-06
Packaged: 2018-01-03 15:40:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1072205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Im_The_Doctor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When John asks about the skull on his mantle, Sherlock says, "A friend of mine." But was he talking about the skull or the sad, timeless man who gave it to him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Give It To Your Keeping

“But how did you get here?” Sherlock asked again, staring with wide eyes up at the man by his bedside. “I mean, this house isn’t impregnable, but I set traps!”

The man’s smile was more of a grimace as he held up the intricately designed trap Sherlock had placed on the doorframe. “Yes, thanks for that. It was a good idea, but I used my sonic to disable it.”

“Your ‘sonic’?” Sherlock sputtered. “W-Who are you?”

“I’m The Doctor. Now listen, Sherlock—”

“How do you know my name?!”

“Hush!” The Doctor hissed. “Your mum, dad, and brother can’t know I’m here. It’ll mess up the timeline. Just keep calm and let me talk fast so I can leave.”

Sherlock watched with mind awhirl as The Doctor fished a big lump out of his leather jacket. The Doctor balanced the cloth-wrapped present with reverence in his hands.

“This is for you,” The Doctor whispered, extending it toward the boy. Sherlock took it slowly and unwound the cloth.

“A skull...?” he murmured in confusion.

The Doctor placed a hand on Sherlock’s shoulder. “I need you to take care of it for me until I come back, alright?”

“Well, when will you come back?” Sherlock demanded.

The Doctor paused. “I don’t know when. Time is never certain for me.”

Sherlock’s brow furrowed. “Why not?”

After a moment of tense silence, The Doctor forced a laugh. “Ah, Sherlock Holmes. You’ll be a fantastic man someday. A hero.”

“Heroes?” Sherlock spoke the word with disgust. “Heroes don’t exist and even if they did, I wouldn’t be one of them.”

Something ghostly befell The Doctor’s face, something that Sherlock was far too young to understand. “Maybe you’re right. No matter what I tell myself, I probably wouldn’t be one of them either,” he admitted softly. Then he smiled ruefully, patting the skull. “Be a friend to _my_ friend, will you?”

Before Sherlock could answer, The Doctor strode from the room. A strange wheezing and groaning filled the hall outside Sherlock’s room—then silence.

Sherlock hugged the skull tightly against his chest and swore to research ‘The Doctor’ as soon as the morning came.


End file.
